As for cleaning we had the silicone inserts. Take out and wash.
Left ours on the counter.
Used ours 1, maybe 2 times a week.
We prefer our deep fryer, because some of the things we couldn't air fry only deep fry.
Large Big Green Egg, Weber Performer Deluxe, Weber Smokey Joe Silver, Fireboard Drive, 3 DigiQs, lots of Thermapens, and too much other stuff to mention.
I have a stand-alone air fryer, but it takes up too much counter space when not in use. It sits in storage. But when it was time to replace the microwave, I got one that microwaves, air frys, broils, convection ovens, and combinations of all above. I use it to air fry or broil maybe once a week. It does a pretty good job with everything; it’s as good at microwaving as our last one, it’s a decent broiler, and it’s good with fries and vegetables. Cleanup is pretty easy; racks and trays go in the dishwasher.
Capacities on these tend to be smaller. Plan accordingly. Otherwise, sure, if you have room for it. I use it more often than the Instant Pot.
I don’t own one, haven’t bit the bullet. There are some cool glass ones with all stainless attachments that I considered. They are pricey but great to understand the options.🔥🔥🐿️
Is it worth the trouble for reheating the food? -- Yes
Air frying seafood? Especially for seafood and fries. They tend to crisp up vs. get soggy.
For trench fries? -- See above
Any other meats? -- Chicken Nuggets, Chicken in General. Some say beef, but I have not done that.
Any vegetables? -- Roasting peppers quickly, maybe... Sweating onions, sure.
Is cleaning a pain? -- not really. Especially if you use inserts. (like big coffee filters)
Would a large one cook an entire meal for two? -- I have a NuWave that I bought a few years ago. It's rather small... a full meal, no. A protein, yes. A vegetable, yes. But both... not really. At least not in mine.
Do you leave yours on the kitchen counter or store it? -- Goes in storage. It is about the size of a couple of blenders side by side. It _could_ stay out, but we prefer it away.
Realistically how many times a week would it get used? -- Some weeks, 1-2 times. Some weeks, not at all. probably 2-3 times per month for us.
Give me your best thoughts pro or con.
I like ours. I wish I had a different model. but it works for us.
It doesn't _really_ save too much time. It is nice to have only have to heat up a smaller appliance rather than a full oven. The biggest time saver is because the smaller volume, it pre-heats quicker.
For reheating, it is fantastic.
For cooking, I would say it is a parallel to the InstantPot. If you have a recipe that you can leverage, it does a great job.
It was a worthwhile purchase for me.. going to use it for 3 cooks this week alone.
I was given one as a “gift”, one that I never asked for….but that’s how gifts work. That said, I never use it. I much prefer my oven, toaster oven or my grills to cook/reheat. When it isn’t used by my wife and youngest son, it stays stored, it needs about 15”x15”x18”. They probably use it once a month and “forget” to clean the basket. I think one day I’m going to toss the dang thing and see how long it takes them to realize it is gone…..
I think of the air fryer much the way the George Forman grill was back in the day. A touch gimmicky.
Our oven has a convection feature, so in some ways we have a really big one…..
De-cluttering brings me great satisfaction so your "throw it away and see how long it takes them to figure it out" made me laugh. To your point though, there are plenty of things that have gone away unnoticed to this day.
> Weber Genesis EP-330
> Grilla Grills Original Grilla (OG) pellet smoker with Alpha/Connect
> Grilla Grills Pellet Pizza Oven
> Pit Barrel Cooker (gone to a new home)
> WeberQ 2000 (on "loan" to a relative (I'll never see it again))
> Old Smokey Electric (for chickens mostly - when it's too nasty out
to fiddle with a more capable cooker)
> Luhr Jensen Little Chief Electric - Top Loader circa 1990 (smoked fish & jerky)
> Thermoworks Smoke
> 3 Thermoworks Chef Alarms
> Thermoworks Thermapen One
> Thermoworks Thermapen Classic
> Thermoworks Thermopop
> Thermoworks Square DOT
> Thermoworks IR-GUN-S
> Joule Turbo Sous Vide Circulator
> Searzall torch
> BBQ Guru Rib Ring
> WÜSTHOF, Dalstrong, and Buck knives
> Paprika App on Mac and iOS
I am looking for a little Air Fryer guidance. Here is the situation.
Mostly cook for the wife and me
Once a week cook for us and two grand kids ages 11 and 14
Once a week cook for us, same two grandkids and their parents.
Is it worth the trouble for reheating the food?
Air frying seafood?
For trench fries?
Any other meats?
Any vegetables?
Is cleaning a pain?
Would a large one cook an entire meal for two?
Do you leave yours on the kitchen counter or store it?
Realistically how many times a week would it get used?
Give me your best thoughts pro or con.
First ... It's just a small, very powerful convection oven ... it's not really a "fryer" at all. That said, if ours failed, we'd replace it immediately. Neither of us (there's just two) is fond of deep frying ... mainly because of the amount of cleanup involved ... and the keeping or disposal of old oil ... so the air fryer is just the ticket.
To your questions:
Air frying seafood? It's at its best with frozen seafood like fried shrimp, fish sticks, fish fillets, etc. I probably wouldn't risk high-quality fresh seafood in such a device.
For trench fries? I've done them from scratch and with a little effort, they were very good. Frozen fries and onion rings are awesome.
Any other meats? Chicken wings can be very good. I'm leery of putting large hunks of meat in the little blast furnace ... and with all the grilling stuff I've got, hamburgers and steaks just seem silly.
Any vegetables? Potatoes! Baked potatoes are as good as they can be in an air fryer. Corn on the cob ... not (tough as nails).
Is cleaning a pain? Not really. Most models say they are dishwasher safe, but the baskets can be too big to fit well. The nonstick coating on our Corsori is very good and hand washing is a cinch.
Would a large one cook an entire meal for two? Probably. That said, I use ours for single-ingredient cooks. It's a simple cooker that does simple things very well.
Do you leave yours on the kitchen counter or store it? Counter. Ours is a 6-qt with about a 12x12" footprint. Those toaster-oven style AF's look a lot bigger than we'd probably have room for.
Realistically how many times a week would it get used? Depends on the week. Some weeks not at all ... other weeks 2-3 times.
Give me your best thoughts pro or con. Like most "new" things, the AF seems to get used by a lot of people for things it's not really designed to do well. It's fast, but it's not instantaneous ... but folks still write recipes for them that are at least 40-50ºF too hot just to show off how fast they can burn food.
Bottom line, I highly recommend getting one. Personally, I'd go for a simple model rather than one with every (expensive) digital bell and whistle (ours has a single mechanical timer dial and a single temperature dial ... no digital displays ... and it's been great).
FWIW, here's a pic of the one (an older, original model) we use:
Kamado Joe Big Joe III
Pit Barrel Cooker
Camp Chef Flat Top 900
Weber Performer 22
PowerFlamer Propane 160
Meater +
Thermoworks Smoke
Thermoworks Thermapen
Temp Spike
I have one that my mother gave me when she got a new one. It's magical. My complaint about the one I have is that is is not large enough for a whole chicken. I can get 4 thighs in it, and it's maxed out. I would love to have one large enough to accommodate an entire chicken. Especially now, when I'm recovering from an illness and still have to feed everyone but don't have the energy to go set up and tend the Kamado. For reheating foods, the air fryer is without peer. Leftover pizza, fries, chicken tenders and nuggets, all come out like they were just cooked. It saves a ton of time as well because it comes up to temp really fast. So my advice would be to go ahead and stretch on one that will have the size to do what you want with it.
Mosca I sure wish that had been an option when we built our kitchen. I have one of those built ins that has a drawer that pops out and sits under the counter.
I have a different model Corsori then the one Morg has above but I love it. In fact they recently had a massive recall (mine worked fine) so they replaced it with a brand new one, I now have two. I won't list all the pluses, most have already done so. Basically anything you can put in an oven you can cook in an air fryer. The good news is you don't have to wait 20 minutes for a conventional oven to heat up to 400*F, it gets there in a minute or so in the AF. Great for quick meals, fries, tots, again you name it.
MsTwiggy No, this is the "Ninja Flip" (that's what they should have called it). It's a space-saving design. If you have the space get the bigger one but this one is pretty choice too. I have the Ninja SP301 model. The new model I will link below.
If not cooking outdoors, I am cooking on the stovetop with my 14" carbon steel wok, 12" CI skillet, or in the oven with my two Lodge CI pizza pans, or two dutch ovens. I've also got a nifty Lodge carbon steel grill pan that rocks for veggies outdoors.
We have an air fryer, I think it's an 8 quart model - one with the pull out basket. Yvonne didn't want a giant toaster oven style one eating up counter space, and prefers appliances that can be put away when not in use.
It's great for reheating certain things, or cooking frozen items you want to come out crispy. It's really just a tiny convection oven, but probably with higher air flow due to the smaller size.
The size is the issue. Even with one of the French door or oven style ones, I don't see making a full meal in one, and certainly not for more than maybe 2 people. You have to have food in a single layer - you can just drop a big mess of fries in there like I can in the basket of my deep fryer.
ONCE I cooked some chicken wings in it - raw, frozen ones. They came out great. BUT.... I could only fit about 10 at a time in the basket in a single layer, and they took in excess of 30 minutes. From fresh I imagine it would be half that time. Probably slightly longer than they would take in a deep fryer.
I tell Yvonne that my kettle + Vortex is my convection cooker for big cooks... and I recommend the same for you.
I use the instant pot much more than I use the air fryer.
I read what Shush said above and I couldn't have said it better. I have two kids 15 and 13 and use it multiple times a week. It it broke today I would be out buying another before tomorrow!
We have a Ninja air fryer we are very pleased with. It probably isn’t large enough to cook for more than a couple of people. It’s easy to clean and is almost magic on leftovers.
Weber Smoky Mountain 18” and 22”
Weber Smoque XL w/ front and side folding tables
Weber Genesis E-430 (came with the frame kit).
DigiQ fan controller (WSM 22” has the attachment)
Turkey fryer (2)
Maverick ET-732 (2)
Char-Broil Big Easy Oil-less Turkey Fryer, Bunk Basket (2)
SouthwestDisc 18" Cooking Disc
My daughter was at home for a bit after graduating college and brought her air fryer with her. It’s been a week since she moved out of state and I miss it already. The wife doesn’t want one taking up counter space probably because she’s already taking it up with her stuff to begin with. (Good thing she’s not on here).
Many thanks for all the helpful and encouraging posts. I decided to take the plunge with the Consumer Reports Smart Buy Corsi Mini. If it is too small I will donate it and upgrade. It was at a bargain price on Amazon. Again Thanks!
Last edited by LA Pork Butt; February 21, 2024, 10:12 AM.
Good luck! I would say at 2.1 quarts it will cook enough for 1-2 servings of something, but should be enough to tell you if you want a bigger one. Let us know what you think after you put it through its paces.
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